


For When I'm Not There

by Jemppu



Series: Months [5]
Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Culmets - Freeform, M/M, Tumblr, honey mushroom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:42:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23818639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jemppu/pseuds/Jemppu
Summary: Part of"Honey Mushroom"series of illustrated Culmets momentslisted here on tumblr, and of"Months"moments, taking place before the couple's ultimate Discovery mission.A snippet of Paul relaxing.
Relationships: Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets
Series: Months [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1082124
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	For When I'm Not There

**Author's Note:**

> The series gets released quite out of order, as inspiration dictates, so I urge you to check out the [series list on tumblr](https://tinyurl.com/honeyshroom).

## Months: For When I’m Not There 

The room is filled with tunes of light classical music as Paul steps back into his apartment, quite exasperated. He realizes the line they had open with Hugh got left open when Paul received a call from the lab and had to go check on it. The connection rarely ever gets shut off anymore anyway.

“What is this?” he asks, trying to keep the irritation from his voice as he walks over to the kitchen counter, where the monitor is set up on it’s usual spot, “it’s not that Bloom of Kasseel, is it?” He’s quite fed up with that already, thanks to Justin’s wont to impress Amelia and the occasional insistence on playing it in the lab.

  
There is no answer. Paul puts the stuff he’s carrying down on the counter and glances curiously over at the screen: the set up on Hugh’s end shows the by now familiar couch corner and the living room table. The man must have left the music on for Paul to discover, when the doctor himself couldn’t be present.  
  
Paul could just mute the line, but… but doesn’t. This is actually surprisingly nice.  
  
Something much less dramatic or solemn than that melancholy Kasseelian crap - he stubbornly maintains. Less serene and far more Earthly. Comfortingly familiar somehow, even though Paul doesn’t think he has ever heard this before.  
  
The tune is soft, but clear. It reminds him of first days of spring and the faint sunlight that comes with them. Delightful streams of water from melting snow and the first chirps of migratory birds returning home.  
  
And now there’s something there, a flute? Rising on top of it all, tingling Paul’s senses.  
  
Paul sits down on the high chair by the counter, rests his head in his hands leaning against the tabletop and just lets the calming music wash over him.  
  
Now the tune is changing again, but the transition is so smooth you can hardly hear it - you feel it. Clear, cheerful piano key strokes then fill the composition, rising higher and higher, until the tune tips over and free falls a good distance back, then gets picked up by strings and carried gently back down with them - like a leaf carried by a gentle breeze.  
  
Damn. The man seems to know how to get to him better than Paul could’ve ever imagined.  
  
The tune, it’s hopeful, encouraging, longing, loving… all at the same time, and Paul can’t bring himself to let go of it. He just sits there listening, feeling the emotions from the music and takes it all in.  
  
It’s been a good while before he comes to it again, and realizes he’s just sat there without thinking of anything. Not flipping over to his PADD, not going through calculations in his head, not worrying about the progress of the research or it’s future or any such strenuous stuff he usually juggles in his mind constantly.  
  
He realizes he has never asked Hugh how he got into classical music. The man is probably on his night shift by now, but Paul will remember to ask later.  
  
However, right now he just cranks up the volume, shuffles over by the couch, throws himself on it, and closes his eyes, letting the peaceful music take over again, forgetting all that mess they had cooked up in the lab.  
  
As the evening outside gets gradually darker his worries evaporate with the sweeping orchestra. His PADDs lay forgotten on the kitchen counter.

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts on the work posted along with the illustration on [**tumblr**](https://jmalkki.tumblr.com/post/182215238524/reminded-of-you-something-quick-another-idea-for).
> 
> _Likes, shares, comments and what have you, all appreciated on:_  
>  _[ **tumblr**](http://jmalkki.tumblr.com/) | [**twitter**](https://twitter.com/Jemppu) | [**instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/jeminamalkki/) | [**DeviantArt**](https://www.deviantart.com/jemppu)_


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